1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to monitoring and control of batch processes, particularly chemical processes, and more specifically to expert systems used in batch process control.
2. Associated Applications
The present application is associated with the following United States Patents and Patent Applications (and all non-U.S. patent applications claiming priority therefrom) as follows:
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,499, issued Apr. 24, 1990 PA1 (2) U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,217, issued Nov. 28, 1990 PA1 (3) Allowed U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 103,014, filed Sept. 30, 1987 PA1 (4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,167, issued Mar. 6, 1990 PA1 (5) Allowed U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 103,047, filed Sept. 30, 1987 PA1 (6) U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,691, issued Mar. 20, 1990
Each of these Patents and Patent applications, as well as any corresponding non-U.S. applications and/or patents is incorporated herein in its entirety.
3. Related Art
a. Batch Processes
A batch process is operated by moving the process through a set of steps. Each step requires different conditions in the process, and usually follows a pre-defined sequence or recipe.
Cooking is a typical batch process. The cooking recipe specifies process conditions during each step of the batch process (for example, oven temperature), as well as criteria for determining when the step has ended or been completed (for example, simmer for 20 minutes).
A "true" or "classic" batch process begins at one point in time with ingredients or raw materials, and finishes later in time with final products. Such true or classic batch processes are used to make many valuable products, including, for example, pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
Also, some very important "continuous" processes, such as the refining of crude oil, use a repetitive cycle of steps, which cycle of steps is similar to a batch process. Moreover, all continuous processes use a sequence of steps to start the continuous process up and to shut the process down. These start up and shut down portions of such continuous processes constitute individual batch processes.
Thus, it can be appreciated that batch processes and batch processing play a very important role in all manufacturing, even in nominally continuous processes.